This disclosure generally relates to a phase separator for removing gas from a liquid. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a phase separator for passively removing gas from a liquid in a microgravity environment.
Systems aboard a vehicle operating in microgravity environments experience phenomena not encountered under normal gravity conditions. In microgravity environments, gas does not freely separate from liquid and agglomerate due to the absence of buoyant forces. Accordingly, additional features are required to remove unwanted gas from liquid systems. A powered phase separator can be utilized in such an environment for removing gas from the liquid. A powered phase separator typically includes a motor driven drum that rotates to generate a centripetal acceleration that drives the liquid to an outermost region while exhausting gas that accumulates from an inner region. Membrane-based separators, which rely on a higher concentration of gas in the device than outside to drive gas flow out, invariably result in loss of liquid by the same mechanism as gas transport. Membrane-based separators may also require complexity in the form of a fan or blower to move exhausted gas, a sweep-gas supply, and additional valves. All other separator devices require some minimum level of control features that undesirably add to the complexity of the device.